Keep Your Feet
by NaomiLynn
Summary: In a slightly gender-bent universe, Bonnabell Baggins finds unexpected courage and romance when a herd of dwarves whisks her away to the misty mountains. Technically BilboxThorin. Based on the movie.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first fan fiction, and I wanted to do a little gender-bending because of the sad lack of ladies in Middle Earth. They aren't all gender-swapped. I didn't change the dwarves' names because I figured they all sound pretty unisex. This follows the movie very closely and the book a little as well. The romance comes in a bit further, so bear with me.**

* * *

Just as Bonnabell the hobbit had just sat down to eat her dinner, someone rang the bell. She looked up in surprise. Surely that old wizard Gandalf hadn't come back to bother her some more about that nasty adventure business? She wasn't even properly dressed for guests. Still, it wouldn't do to leave a guest waiting out in the dark, and so she opened the door ready to politely (but firmly) send him away again.

To her astonishment, it was not Gandalf at all but a large, menacing dwarf woman. Bonnie had seen dwarves occasionally passing through the roads near the Shire, but never had the desire to see one up close. She was at least a head taller than Bonnie, and had the sides of her head shaved. She had sparse, wiry hairs on her chin and smelled like an animal. Bonnie couldn't help but wrinkle her nose. The dwarf stepped inside without waiting to be invited.

"Do I know you?" Bonnie spluttered, tying her robe firmly around her nightgown.

The dwarf glared at her for a moment. "No," she said in disgust, throwing her mangy coat on the nearest peg. "Where's the food?"

In the end, Bonnabell had to sacrifice her lovely dinner and watched sadly as it was devoured by this stranger. She had tattoos on the shaved part of her head, Bonnie noticed with horror. And she ate like a dog. Just as Bonnie was passing her a plate of rolls, the bell rang _again. _

"That'll be the door," the dwarf said menacingly.

She opened it to yet another dwarf, an old one with a snow white beard. He smiled at her and stepped inside. "Balin, at your service. Sister!" he exclaimed, seeing the other dwarf at the table.

The dwarf approached him with a fierce smile. "Well bless my whiskers, you've grown shorter since last we met," she growled.

"Wider, not shorter," Balin replied. Instead of embracing, they headbutted each other so hard it made Bonnie's eyes water. She had never seen such a display, and it was happening right in her kitchen. What if the neighbors had seen these two at her door?

The bell rang a third time. Bonnie sucked the air in through her teeth angrily. "This had better be that wizard, so I can give him a piece of my mind." But instead, it was two younger, more attractive dwarves, who seemed to be brother and sister. The one on the left had a ginger-blonde beard and smiling eyes, who said, "Fili." "And Kili," said the second, a dark haired dwarf with a just a bit of peach fuzz on her chin. They both bowed and said, "At your service."

"No, no, you've got the wrong house," Bonnie said, and closed the door swiftly. Kili stuck her boot out just in time, blocking it.

"Has it been cancelled?" she asked, forcing the door back open easily.

"Nobody told us," Fili said.

"No, of course it hasn't been cancelled, _what _hasn't been –?"

"Ah, good," they said cheerfully, walking right in and throwing their coats down. Kili was scraping the mud off of her boots on Bonnie's furniture, and she hadn't a _clue _where those other two dwarves had got to, most likely cleaning out her nice pantry…

Fili dumped a load of sharp, heavy weapons into Bonnie's arms. "Careful with these, I just had them sharpened," he said, winking and striding into the kitchen. Bonnie was soundlessly mouthing words in outrage.

"Miss Dwalin!" Kili said, seeing the great mo-hawked dwarf emerging from the kitchen. All the dwarves knew each other, Bonnie thought darkly. Perhaps they were all related, it would explain the terrible manners they were raised with.

The bell rang again. "No, no, _no," _Bonnie said, throwing down Fili's heap of weapons. She opened the door and what looked like ten more dwarves all collapsed in a heap on her rug. Gandalf was standing behind them all, and looked in serenely.

And so Bonnie was resigned to standing in the hall as the throng of dwarves pushed around her, balancing food and plates and bottles of wine and all talking very loudly. They paid her no mind, and in the end they all got situated around the table and had a merry feast. Bonnie looked sadly into her pantry, which had been completely emptied.

A loud pounding on the door brought the singing to a halt. All the dwarves looked at each other, and Gandalf said ominously, "He's here."

Bonnie was almost afraid to open the door again. She hesitantly went into the hall, the dwarves following quietly behind. If there was someone they were afraid of, he had to be quite fearsome. She opened the door to reveal another dwarf, a tall one, wearing a clean fur and very fine armor. He did not introduce himself, but held her in a steady gaze and stepped inside. He had a heavy brow and sharp, grey eyes. "You said this house would be easy to find, Gandalf," he said in a deep voice. "But I would not have found it at all, if it had not been for that mark on the door."

"There's no mark on my door, it's freshly painted," Bonnie said indignantly.

"Of course there is a mark, I put it there myself. Bonnabell, this is the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield," Gandalf said. The other dwarves were looking at him raptly, as if he were a king. He certainly carried himself like one.

He looked around her house, and his eyes finally landed back on her. "So this is the hobbit," he said, looking at her appraisingly. She felt even more exposed in her nightgown and robe; he was making her feel very flustered. He was a good foot taller than she was. "She does not look like a burglar, more like a grocer." The dwarves chuckled. Bonnie was stung for a moment, until she realized he had said _burglar. _

"Burglar, Gandalf?"

"Come now, sit down and have a drink, Thorin," Gandalf said, very obviously avoiding Bonnie. He ushered the dwarf into the kitchen, where they all regrouped and brought Thorin a bowl of stew. Bonnie hung back, partly because all the chairs were taken and partly because this new dwarf intimidated her so.

They all began talking about a mission, and Bonnie supposed this was Gandalf's harebrained adventure. It all sounded dreadful to her and she tuned out all their talk, dearly wishing they would leave. But Gandalf pulled out a map, and she couldn't help but lean in interestedly. She loved maps and codes and things, and had spent a good deal of time drawing up her own of the Hill and favorite walking places. But Gandalf's map looked a good deal stranger to her. It featured a large mountain peak and a drawing of a dragon. It had several runes on it, and a finger pointing towards the west side of the mountain.

He began explaining about a treasure chamber, and produced a strangely wrought key. Thorin took it in wonder. It seemed there was a secret back door that the dwarves aimed to sneak into. "And that's where our burglar comes in," Gandalf said.

"Yes, and a very good one too," Bonnie murmured, eyes still glued on the map. "An expert, I should think."

"And are you?" Balin asked.

Bonnie jerked out of her reverie. All of the dwarves were staring at her, including Thorin. "Am I what?" she said.

"An expert."

She had an unpleasant lurch of understanding. "What, you think _I'm _the…? No. No, no no, I've never stolen a thing in my life," she said.

Thorin turned around with a satisfied smirk.

"The wild is not for gentle ladies who've never fought a day in their lives," Dwalin said. "She's probably the type to stay at home and pop out lots of little hobbit babies. Just give her a break, Gandalf."

All the dwarves joined in, arguing that Gandalf had found them a faulty burglar. Bonnie knew she shouldn't, but she felt oddly chastised and embarrassed that she was not, in fact, an expert thief. But Gandalf stood up, his shadow extending longer than it should have, and said, "Bonnabell Baggins is a burglar, and a burglar she is. Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet, and can pass undetected by most if they wish. And Bonnabell is quite small for a hobbit, even a hobbit-lady. A dragon will not recognize the scent of hobbit, if he even sees her at all." Bonnie had to admit this was true, but she was beginning to feel a bit sick. "You must trust me on this," Gandalf said to Thorin.

"You'll be needing to sign this contract, then, dearie," Balin said to Bonnie, handing her a long parchment filled with spidery writing. "That's just the usual."

Bonnie took it, skimming the thin writing. Words started jumping out at her like "lacerations" and "disembowelment." "Incineration?" she exclaimed out loud. Everyone looked at her.

"Oh yes, it'll melt the flesh right off your bones," said a cheerful dwarf with a starched hat and rosy cheeks. The only whiskers she had were a few on her upper lip, but her wild braids overshadowed everything. "Think furnace, but with wings!"

Bonnie stared at the paper. Her head was swimming. "No," she managed, before she keeled over.

…

Things were only dark of a second, before she groggily realized she was being carried in thick, strong arms. She looked up into the grave face of Thorin, who had caught her just in time and was now setting her down in her armchair. He didn't seem so mocking now, just pitying. "Thank you," Bonnie muttered, embarrassed. Thorin only stumped over to the fire place, staring into the flames.

Gandalf appeared with a mug of tea. The rest of the dwarves filed into the den, lighting their pipes and filling the room with smoke rings. They had quieted down a great deal, and Bonnie was thankful. She sipped her tea and listened as they all began humming a deep, dark sounding song. Thorin began singing, and she was surprised to hear that his voice was low and lovely. The rest joined in, even Dwalin in her low bass. They sang about mountains, and then a fire. Bonnie realized they were singing about their old mountain, the one on Gandalf's map, and the dragon attack that had happened there. They all had a steely reserve on their faces as they sang, and it nearly broke Bonnie's heart.

"You must sign the contract, Bonnabell," Gandalf said quietly from next to her. "When did doilies and your mother's dishes become so important to you? I remember a little girl who came in trailing mud through the house, and who went looked for elves in the forest. I know you pore over your maps and things because you long for adventure. Well the real world isn't in your books and maps, Bonnabell, it's out there." He looked towards the dark window. "Bag End will still be here when you come back, and the Shire will be the same as ever."

Bonnie sighed. "Can you guarantee that I _will _come back?"

He hesitated. "No. And if you do, you will not be the same."

"That's what I was afraid of. I'm sorry, Gandalf. I can't. You'll just have to find another burglar."

She got up before he could make a reply and went straight to bed. She lay awake for a long while, listening to the thumps and bumps of the dwarves milling around in her house finding places to sleep. Thorin evidently chose the best guest bedroom for himself, for she could hear him still singing quietly to himself through the wall. She drifted off to sleep and dreamed of mountains and piercing, grey eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

Bonnie woke unusually late. She sat up groggily, and she wasn't quite sure if the night before had even been real, or just a dream. She dressed quickly and tiptoed into the guest room where Thorin had slept. It was neat as a pin, and the bed was made. It gave her an odd, sinking feeling. Of course they had left without her. Hadn't Thorin said she would make a better grocer than a burglar? This disappointment surprised her. "You're a fool, Bonnie. Of course they don't need you, you're no great warrior-lady like Dwalin, you're just a Baggins." The other rooms were just as immaculate, but the giant pile of dishes left in the kitchen was proof that last night had been real. To her surprise, the contract had also been left on the table, with both Thorin and Balin's signature on it. Bonnie stared at it, and it was as if something Tookish welled up inside her, a great urge to leave the house and see great mountains and waterfalls and forbidding forest roads. She scrawled her name at the bottom, hastily packed items into a knapsack, and grabbed her walking stick.

The next thing she knew, she was running down the Hill as fast as her furry feet would carry her. She went past the Old Mill, across the Water, and on for a mile or so more until she finally came upon them. They were all on shaggy ponies laden with gear, with Gandalf at the head riding a large white horse. "Wait!" Bonnie cried.

They halted, and Thorin slowly pulled his pony around to face her.

"I signed it," she puffed, waving the contract proudly. "I'm coming with you."

Balin took it from her and said, "Well, everything appears to be in order. That'll be your pony, miss." He pointed to a very small pony at the end of the line.

Bonnie was looking at Thorin somewhat defiantly. He held her gaze until finally he said, "Welcome to our company, Miss Baggins." She nodded and walked back to her pony.

…

It was only later that she realized how very unprepared she had come. She was without a pocket handkerchief, for one, but also a hat and cloak. And when she had dressed this morning, she had put on her usual outfit, a nice cream colored dress and apron. But of course this wouldn't do at all for pony-riding or any kind of dangerous activity, so in the end she borrowed some trousers and a cloak from the smallest dwarf, Ori. His clothes were still somewhat big on her, and she was positively swimming in the cloak.

The dwarves couldn't help but chuckle when they saw her, for she looked like one of the beardless dwarf children playing dress-up in their father's clothes. This put her in a foul mood, and she was glad when they finally made camp under a rocky overhang in the hills. They were far from any of the decent places Bonnie knew, and deep in the Lone-lands.

During the ride, she worked on learning all of the dwarves' names. She already knew Thorin, Balin, Dwalin, Fili, and Kili. Bofur was the dwarf-lady with the starched hat and braids that stuck stiffly upwards as if they were starched as well. Dori was a bit of a fussy, older dwarf with braided grey mutton chops, and Nori was his younger cousin. She had reddish chin fuzz and her hair was done up in three large, red poufs. Her younger brother was Ori, a sweet-faced young dwarf with just the beginnings of his beard. Oin and Gloin were grizzled, older dwarves, both having long thick beards and gruff attitudes. Bonnie was quite afraid of Bifur, a mangy looking dwarf with a bit of axe sticking out of his head. From what she could tell, he never spoke the common tongue and only communicated in hand signals and what sounded like a Dwarvish language. Bombur was the fattest of them all, and his hair was braided in a long, thick loop under his chin.

Bonnie, Fili, and Kili were on first watch that night. Gandalf sat up with them as well, puffing on his long pipe just outside the firelight. Bonnie had an extra apple, so she quietly got up and fed it to her pony, Myrtle. She was quite taken with the ponies. She had never ridden any before, being too high up for her taste, but they were so sweet that she couldn't help but love them.

Out of the darkness, there came a strange, shrill cry. Bonnie scurried back to the fire. "What was that? A wolf?" she asked fervently. Hobbits were terrified of wolves, even though none had been in the Shire since the Fell Winter.

"Sounds like orcs," Fili said, looking at his sister slyly.

"Yeah, they come in the night in packs, ambushing travelers, slitting throats one by one. No screams, just lots of blood," Kili said, grinning.

"Why don't you come sit on my lap, Bonnie, you'll feel safer," Fili said, winking at her.

Bonnie looked back out into the night, terror welling up inside. A rough voice came from behind her. "You think that's funny? A night raid by orcs?" It was Thorin, who had evidently been awake the whole time. He was scowling at the siblings. They lowered their eyes sheepishly. "You know nothing of the real dangers out there." He stomped off into the dark.

Balin walked into the firelight. Did no one in this company sleep? "He has more cause than most to fear an orc ambush," he said, looking at the three of them sternly. He turned to Bonnie and began recounting a battle Thorin had fought in long ago, for Moria. His grandfather was beheaded in the battle, right in front of Thorin, by a dreadful Pale Orc. He had tried to fight the orc, and succeeded in cutting off its arm before it was taken back into Moria. Bonnie shivered, watching Thorin. He was still brooding out by the ponies.

"And I thought, there's a king I could follow," Balin finished, his eyes shining in the firelight. Thorin finally turned around to see them all staring at him. Even Bonnie felt awed, and sad, and she knew why they all wanted to mountain back so much.

"What happened to the Pale Orc?" she asked Thorin quietly as he passed by her.

"That scum died of his wounds long ago," he said, and returned to his bedroll.

…

The next day, a terrible rain came down from the mountains and didn't let up until well past dinnertime. They couldn't find anywhere dry to camp, so they settled until a tree for the night, getting dripped on by the branches.

As Bifur struggled to light a fire and the others tied up the ponies, Kili approached Bonnie. "Look, Bonnie, I'm sorry about last night," she said quietly. "Fili and me were just messing with you, but Thorin was right. It's really dangerous out here, and we're kind of worried about you."

Bonnie glared at her. "What, because I'm small? Because I've never burgled anything before?" She knew that everyone's doubts about her were absolutely correct, but she wasn't about to admit it anymore.

"No. Well, yes, actually. But you don't even have a weapon. You've never fought before. If something happens to the rest of us, who will help you?"

"Is there a point to this, Kili?"

"I just wanted to make sure that if you die anytime soon, we'll be on good terms is all."

"Oh yes, the _best _of terms," Bonnie snarled, and moved away to tie up Myrtle.

The fire was proving very hard to start, and eventually they were going to ask Gandalf for some help with his magic. Unfortunately no one could find Gandalf. "Where has he gone?" everyone was asking, but there was no sign of him or his white horse.

"Just when a wizard would have been most useful," Nori grumbled. They were all damp and chilled to the bone, and the sun was now behind the horizon.

"There's a light over there!" cried Balin, who was their lookout-man. Sure enough, there was a twinkling red light to be seen through the thick trees on a hill some way off. This started an argument of whether or not they should investigate. Some thought the land was too dangerous and little-known, but others wanted dinner and warmth very badly. Eventually they settled on going, and said, "After all, we have a burglar with us."

This made Bonnie very nervous, but she had no choice but to follow them up the hill. The dwarves made a good deal of racket and Bonnie was sure they would be overheard, but they stopped not far from the fire. "Now it's the burglar's turn," Fili whispered, giving Bonnie a little nudge in the back. "You must go ahead and see if there is danger. If so, hoot once like a barn owl. If not, hoot like a screech owl."

Before Bonnie could protest that she couldn't hoot like _any _sort of owl, he pushed her forward into the trees.


	3. Chapter 3

Gandalf had been right that hobbits could move virtually undetected. Bonnie crept through the trees towards the fire, and she doubted if a rabbit would hear her coming from a foot away. She shoved down the fright that was welling up inside, and tried to gain a steely resolve to prove to the others that she was a capable burglar. That resolve went out the window when she saw who was sitting around the fire.

They were three very large persons, roasting mutton on a spit. She could see immediately that they were trolls, for even though she had never seen one, they were unmistakable. They had large heads and gnarled feet and stank like the back end of an Oliphant. They had beady little eyes and noses and were only wearing stained loincloths. They were grumbling to each other and were not using nice table language at all.

"Mutton yesterday, mutton today, I'm so sick of blinkin' mutton," one was saying.

Bonnie bit her lip. She had few choices. She couldn't hoot like an owl, so either she could go back to the dwarves empty-handed, or she could stay and pickpocket the trolls first. A real burglar would stay to pickpocket them, and perhaps slip a knife in their backs. Bonnie knew that if she came back with a bit of troll treasure, they would hail her a true burglar and perhaps stop taking the piss out of her for it.

One of the trolls had a bag slung around his waist, so Bonnie crept up behind him and was about to reach her hand inside. Just then, she caught sight of Fili and Kili creeping towards the fire to see where she had got to. They weren't as quiet as the hobbit, and one of the trolls held up a hand. "Did you 'ear something?" he said quietly.

"There!" another bellowed, pointing to the dwarves. Fili and Kili both drew their swords as the trolls advanced, and Bonnie scurried back to hide in the trees. Judging by the trolls' yelps, the siblings had gotten in a few good swings. Unfortunately one of the trolls had some sacks, and they scooped up the dwarves and tied them together for good measure.

"So there's dwarves in these woods?" one said. "Dwarves is my favorite, they fry up very nice."

"There's probably more where they came from," another said, so they hid in the shadows to ambush the others. Sure enough, Oin and Gloin came next and were scooped up in sacks as well. As each dwarf came up to the fire, a sack was drawn over their heads before they knew what had happened, until twelve of them were all in a wriggling pile.

Thorin was the last, and he was not taken entirely by surprise. Since the others had not returned, he had drawn his sword and approached the fire warily. "What's all this trouble?" he shouted from some ways off.

"It's trolls!" Bonnie shouted in a quavering voice. "They're waiting in the dark with sacks!"

"Oh, are they?" he bellowed, and jumped forward before the trolls could sweep him up. They came out of the shadows in a rage, and Thorin kicked up ashes into one of the troll's eyes. He sliced another right across the knee with his sword before the third troll came up behind and pulled a sack right over his head and down to his toes.

Soon the trolls had five or six of the poor dwarves tied together on a spit, slowly turning them over the fire. The dwarves were puffing and sweating and shouting all kinds of profanities at the trolls, who just laughed and picked their teeth. They began arguing about the best way to season the dwarves, and whether they should save some of them for later. It was an awful lot of dwarves for one night, they said. And they had to decide soon, because the sun was about to rise. "And I don't fancy bein' turned to stone," one said. Meanwhile Bonnie was standing just outside the trees, wringing her hands nervously. Her ears perked up, and she realized that trolls couldn't stay out in the sun. Mercifully, there was already some blue in the eastern sky. But she still couldn't risk them killing all the dwarves first, and then stowing them away until the next night. In the end, she spotted Fili's sword lying just behind a troll.

As the trolls argued, she slipped behind them and grabbed the sword. She snuck around to the pile of angry bags and cut one open as best as she could. It had Balin inside, and she quickly shushed him. He clamoured out and together they snuck away into the shadows. "I'll cut the rest of them out," Bonnie said. "Then maybe we can decide what to do."

She quietly cut the bags open one by one, until the last one, which turned out to be Thorin. He looked around, confused as to where his company had gone. "I got them all out, they're waiting just behind those trees," Bonnie whispered.

Thorin looked at her in surprise. "Well done, Miss Baggins."

Bonnie smiled widely at him, and she turned back to the camp site. She spotted a flash of grey go by, and a very tall pointed hat. Gandalf had returned! She could have cried with relief. Just then, the trolls seemed to have realized half of their meal was missing. "Where the bloody hell did they go?" one howled.

"That one! She did it!" another one said, pointing a grubby finger at Bonnie, who had not hidden in time.

They made to grab her, but she ducked between their legs and scurried to the opposite side of the fire. The dwarves on the spit cheered once they saw her, for they had thought she had been eaten already. "What is it?" the trolls were saying. "It ain't no squirrel. Blimey it's fast! Somebody squash it!"  
"I don't like the way it wriggles around," one of them said squeamishly as Bonnie darted out of its reach.

She ducked and weaved around their legs yet again, as they tried to stomp on her. She had to keep them distracted, but she didn't know how long she could keep dodging them. Eventually one knocked her over with a sweep of his large hand, and picked her up. "Got you, you nasty rat!" he said, pulling her close to his face and scrutinizing her. His breath was foul and Bonnie winced, waiting for him to pop her into his mouth.

"Dawn take you all!" a booming voice said. They all turned and saw Gandalf standing on a boulder in the morning light. He brought his wizard staff down and the rock was hewn in two, sunlight streaming through. The trolls howled in rage and pain as their skin began to sizzle. The troll that was holding Bonnie dropped her, and she quickly ran out from under him. With a loud cracking, crunching sound, the trolls were turned to stone.

There was silence for a moment, and the dwarves all cheered. Thorin and the others emerged from their hiding spot. They had been readying for an attack, but were surprised to see Bonnie and Gandalf standing among three stone trolls.

"What happened?" Thorin asked in wonder.

"Bonnabell distracted the trolls until sunrise," Gandalf said cheerfully, "when trolls are turned into rock. She was too quick for them, and quite brave." He patted a shell-shocked Bonnie on the back and went to untie the dwarves from the spit.

"I seem to have underestimated you," Thorin said to Bonnie, sheathing his sword. "And I owe you my thanks. We all do." This time he genuinely smiled, and Bonnie felt her face flushing.

"They must have come down from the mountains," Gandalf was saying, and he seemed deeply troubled. "They could not have moved in daylight."

"Then they must have a hiding spot during the day," Balin said. "Perhaps there's a cave nearby, with troll treasure?"

So they all trooped around the camp until Ori found a dank, smelly hole under an overhang. The troll's cave was small, but littered with spoils from the poor souls they had captured. There were lots of discarded clothes and weapons, but also heaps of gold coins and several chests of trinkets. Gloin, Nori, and Bofur decided to bury one of the chests in case any of them came back to it, and then they set out again.

Thorin had found himself and Gandalf some new, elvish swords to use. Gandalf had even given a small knife to Bonnie. "This is of elvish make," he said as she examined the blade. "Which means it will glow blue when there are orcs about."

Bonnie sighed. "I can't take this, Gandalf. I wouldn't even know how to use it."

"And I hope you never have to," he said. "But you won't find another blade like this in a hundred miles." He pressed it on her, and she had no choice but to buckle it around her belt.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you guys for your lovely reviews! Oh my gosh they made my day. Enjoy the new chapter :)**

* * *

The weather was improving, but spirits were low the next day, and the day after. They had to camp under the stars most nights, and the ponies had more to eat than they did. The journey felt like it was eating away at Bonnie, and she frequently longed to be in her own hobbit-hole, putting the kettle on and reading a nice book. All of those things were far behind, however. Ahead of them was a large river, and once they had forded it they could see mountains on the other side.

Bonnie's heart swelled with some huge, unknown emotion. At first she thought the snowy tops were just clouds, but now they were close enough to see the feet of the mountain and the trees. They were bigger than anything she could have imagined, even with all her books and maps. "Is that _the _mountain?" she asked in wonder.

The dwarves snorted. "Of course not!" Balin said. "That's only the beginning of the Misty Mountains, and after that it's still a good long way to the Lonely Mountain."

"Oh," she said softly, and she suddenly felt more tired than she ever had in her life.

…

Gandalf and Thorin had been arguing for most of the journey. Bonnie usually rode towards the back of the company with Ori and Kili, but finally her curiosity got the best of her and she moved gradually towards the front until she could overhear them.

"…We must not miss the road, or we shall be done for," Gandalf was saying. "We need food and rest before tackling the Misty Mountains, Thorin, you cannot deny this to your company."

"I will not ask for charity from elves," Thorin said hotly. "What makes you think they would even have us at all? If there's one thing a dwarf can count on, it is _not _help from an Elf."

Bonnie felt a thrill of excitement. There was a chance they would see some elves! She had never wanted anything more since childhood. They were the most mysterious, most beautiful beings she had ever heard of in any of her tales.

"I am a friend of Elrond, he will not deny you shelter. Curse and bebother the stubbornness of dwarves!"

"They will try to stop us, Gandalf. I would rather starve than stay with them," he spat, and that seemed to be the end of it. But Bonnie saw an odd gleam in Gandalf's eye as he turned away.

They camped in a glade that night, leaving Ori to watch the ponies and settling in to sleep in the roots of trees. As they were about to break camp the next morning, another shrill howl sounded from nearby. Everyone froze and stared at each other.

"Was _that _a wolf?" Bonnie hissed.

"A wolf? No, that is not a wolf," Bofur said, her voice shaking. Suddenly, a huge, hairy black creature appeared between the trees and lunged. Quick as lightning, Kili shot it down with an arrow and the rest of them hacked it to pieces.

"A warg," Thorin said. "Which means an orc-pack is not far behind."

"Orc-pack?" Bonnie repeated.

Ori came running through the trees. "The ponies bolted!" he cried. Several more howls could be heard now, and they sounded closer.

"Who did you tell about this mission outside your family?" Gandalf said, suddenly turning on Thorin. "_Who did you tell?"_

"No one, I swear it!" he said. "What in the name of Durin is going on?"

"You are being hunted," Gandalf said heavily. His white horse had stayed near them in the trees, and Bonnie wondered if Gandalf had bestowed it with some hidden magic to keep it from bolting with the ponies. Now he swung onto its back and said, "I will have to draw them off. A mile from here, directly north, is a large boulder with a deep crevice at its base. You will have to hide there until I come find you. Is that clear to everyone? Good, now stay together, I don't want anyone getting left behind. Especially Bonnabell." And then he was gone, galloping out of the trees.

"You heard him. Follow me!" Thorin shouted, and everyone went jogging after him.

They ran for much longer than Bonnie had ever run before. She was laden down with gear to boot, and now that the howls could not be heard, her fear receded and she started to slow down. Eventually the others noticed, and Dwalin doubled back and took up some of her gear. Bonnie knew there would be repercussions, but for now she fought to keep running at a steady pace. She couldn't recall the last time she had been so sweaty in her entire life, and there was a terrible stitch in her side. Despite her efforts, she still dragged behind Dori, the slowest of the dwarves. At times she could hear him puffing to himself, "Ooh, the chafing, dear lord it does hurt," and grimacing.

They finally reached the great boulder Gandalf had spoken of. It was the tallest thing in the area, even taller than the pines dotting the landscape. There was a thin, shallow crevice in the ground at its base, and one by one they slid down into it. Thorin was ushering everyone ahead of him, and Bonnie was the last. She didn't want to look weak in front of him, so she jumped right down into the darkness, and subsequently bruised her tailbone something awful.

Thorin slid right after her, and they waited in the darkness for a long time. Finally Ori said softly, "D'you think he's coming?" Nori shushed him, but he spoke up again. "Because there's a tunnel over here."

All of them turned. Sure enough, there was a cool draft coming up from behind them. "Should we follow it?" Kili asked, and everyone looked at Thorin.

"Fili, Kili, you two scout ahead. The rest of us will wait for Gandalf." They all began lowering their gear and sitting down heavily, while the young dwarves slipped away into the dark. Bonnie hesitated, then followed quietly after them.

The tunnel lightened gradually, and a great crevice above them opened up to the grey sky. The path narrowed so much that at one point, they had to walk sideways to squeeze between the rock. Bonnie wondered how Bombur would possibly fit through here. Then the tunnel opened and rough stairs were carved leading downwards to a walkway.

Bonnie's breath caught in her throat. A valley spilled out below them, and between numerous waterfalls sat the Last Homely House. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, even more so than the sight of mountains. The foam from the rivers cast a shimmer over everything, and the architecture and statues were as fair as elves themselves.

She involuntarily gasped, and Fili and Kili both heard her and spun around. "Bonnie!" they said, and at first she thought they might be angry with her for leaving the group. "Isn't it gorgeous?" Kili said, and they put their arms around her and drew her forward.

"I thought you would hate the elves," Bonnie said.

"Well, we're not overly fond of them, but we're practically their best friends compared with how Thorin feels about them."

"Aye, the older dwarves feel a bit more strongly. But we wouldn't mind staying in their House for a few days if it meant plenty of food."

So they trooped back through the tunnel to where the dwarves were waiting. Gandalf had still not appeared, and everyone's stomachs were rumbling. Thorin argued for as long as he could, but since they couldn't get back up the way they came, he finally agreed that they had no choice. The journey through the tunnel was difficult indeed for the fatter dwarves, and there was much pulling and pushing and puffing before they all got through.

They crossed a thin stone bridge over the river and were greeted by the first Elf Bonnie had ever seen. He was very tall, possibly taller than Gandalf, and had long brown hair. His face was perfectly smooth and fair, and it was impossible to tell what age he was.

"It is unusual to find dwarves in the Valley," he said, a small smile on his lips. "May I ask what your business is, Master Dwarf?" He addressed Thorin who was at the front.

"We have been travelling with Gandalf the Grey, he instructed us to wait here," Thorin said gruffly, eyeing the elf with mistrust.

"I had not heard that Mithrandir had arrived, but perhaps Lord Elrond will know when he comes –"

Just then, a pounding of hooves came down the road. Everyone turned, expecting Gandalf, but instead it was a huge company of elves on horseback. They were all wearing fine silver armor and carrying long spears. Upon seeing their fast approach, Thorin ushered all the dwarves into a tight group, holding their weapons ready. Bonnie wondered whether she should draw her tiny sword, but before she could she was shoved into the middle. Thorin pushed his way protectively in front of her.

Without breaking their pace, the elves corralled the dwarves in a circle, their horses trotting to a stop. Gandalf brought up the rear, his white horse shining in the valley sunlight. Bonnie could see under the great horses that all of their shaggy ponies had followed Gandalf as well.

"So here are the thirteen dwarves, Gandalf," the tallest elf said. He was wearing a silver circlet on his brow, and while his face was young there was something in his eyes that made Bonnie feel as if he were something ancient.

"And one hobbit," Gandalf added as they all dismounted. The elf looked at her, and she shrank back before his gaze. "This is Lord Elrond, and he has agreed to allow you to stay in his House before making the journey over the mountains."

Elrond bowed his head to Thorin and said something in elvish, which was beautiful and seemed to flow off his tongue like a liquid.

"Does he offer us insult?" demanded Gloin, hefting his axe.

"No, master Gloin, he's offering you _food," _Gandalf said, rolling his eyes.

All the dwarves turned and muttered to each other. They seemed to confer, and Gloin said, "Well, lead on then."


	5. Chapter 5

They were reassured that their ponies would be well taken care of, and they were lead up a long stair and into a beautiful dining room on a balcony above the river. Some elves came in to sit and play the harp quietly, while others set bowls of salad out on the long dining table. The dwarves were confused and angry at the lack of meat, but Bonnie was so glad to be eating what she considered real food. Now she could laugh along with the dwarves as they gobbled their food and guzzled their drink, happy that it was not _her _dining room they were destroying this time.

As they ate, Elrond examined the weapons they had found in the troll cave. "The runes on this sword name it Orchrist, or the Goblin-Cleaver. It was a famous blade. And Gandalf, this sword is called Glamdring, or the Foe-Hammer."

While he spoke, Bonnie considered showing him the little sword that lay across her lap. Balin saw her fiddling with it and said, "I wouldn't count on that. Swords are named for the great deeds they do in battle, miss."

"So you think my sword has never seen battle?" she asked.

"I wouldn't even call it a sword. More like a letter-opener, really." The dwarves around them all laughed heartily.

In the evening, Gandalf, Thorin, and Balin were mysteriously absent from the company. The rest were lounging in a large den, and Bofur had commandeered one of the harps from an elf and was plucking away jovially. Bonnie was sitting with the younger dwarves on a long couch littered with squashy pillows. She was embarrassed to admit that she noticed the moment Thorin had left. "Where did they go?" she asked Fili.

"My uncle said something about reviewing the map with Elrond," he said, taking a pull from a pipe. "They seem to think there's something hidden in the map, some runes or something of the like. Gandalf said that if anyone could find it, Elrond could."

Kili snorted. "His precious family gift in the hands of an elf? I'll shave my whiskers if he gets that map away from Thorin. No, I don't think they'll be finding anything out tonight."

"_What _whiskers?" Fili said, and Kili smacked him with her pillow.

Bonnie stayed up in the den long after the other dwarves had gone to their rooms. She was curious to see what the bedroom provided for her would look like, but she was more curious about the map, and so she waited. The fire burned low, and she was just considering trying her hand at the harp, when Thorin and Balin returned.

They were both discussing something in low voices when they both caught sight of her. "We can talk more in the morning, laddie," Balin said quietly. He patted him on the arm and left.

Thorin came over and, shedding his large fur coat, sat on the far end of the couch with Bonnie. "You're up late," he said. "You should be getting some rest, it was quite a rough day. And we will need to leave as soon as possible."

"I'm fine," Bonnie said stoutly. "Did you find anything out? About the map?"

"That's a bold question," he said, but there was a smile playing on his lips. "I suppose it is no great secret, not from a trusted member of this company. There were moon-runes on the map."

Cunning writing and codes interested Bonnie greatly, and she had of course read about moon-runes. They could only be seen when the same moon in the same season as they were written shone on them. "So they were written on midsummer's eve? With a," she leaned over to look out the window, "crescent moon shining? That's incredibly lucky."

He chuckled. "Yes, it would seem fate is favoring our journey. You know of moon-runes, then? I would not have expected that of a hobbit."

"We're not all simple farmers and cheese-makers, Mr. Oakenshield," Bonnie said in a mock stern voice. "I happen to adore maps, and I've read all about coding and other cryptic writings. So what did they say?"

"The way into the mountain will be shown to us on Durin's Day," he said. "The setting sun's light will shine on the keyhole of the door, and as long as we stand in the right spot we will be able to see it."

"What is Durin's Day?"

"It's the first day on the last moon of Autumn. It was named for my ancestor Durin." Then he noticed she was holding a harp. "Do you play?"

"Er – What?"

"That instrument, can you play it?"

"Oh," she laughed, "No, no, not at all. I just thought maybe I'd – I'd try it just a little, but…No. Do you?" She inwardly cringed as soon as she said it; of course someone like Thorin wouldn't play a harp, he was too…large and busy killing things, most likely.

"Yes, actually," he said. "Would you mind if I played a little?"

"Not at all," she breathed, handing it over to him.

He took it and held it expertly in his arms. "It's a bit bigger than what I'm used to," he said. "And a dwarf's fingers are rather larger than an elf's, but it will do." He plucked at it a little, and then launched into a tune. It was much different from the soft, frilly songs that the elves had played at dinner, and even different from the jaunty song Bofur had played. It was in a minor key, and had a mysterious air. He began to sing quietly, and it was a mournful song of home not unlike the song he had sang at Bag End. Bonnie watched him as he played, for his face had softened and he looked very handsome in the light from the embers.

He finished the song and said, "The fire is almost out. I suppose we should both get some rest now."

"Yes," Bonnie said softly, feeling as though she were in a trance. "Though I don't know what room I am to stay in."

"Come, we shall find it." He offered his hand to help her up, and she took it. It was large and rough, and completely enveloped hers. They walked quietly through the halls, passing snoring dwarves in their own rooms. Finally they came to two on the end that were empty. They seemed identical, so Thorin said, "Well, I suppose I'll take this one. It was nice to…talk with you tonight. I know was harsh with you in the past, but it feels like you are always surprising me." He reached up and tucked one of Bonnie's stray curls back behind her ear.

He was so tall that she had to tilt her head to look up at him, and she didn't think they had ever spoken so closely before. Her stomach felt like it was tied in knots, and her nerves got the best of her. "Thank you, yes, goodnight," she squeaked, and all but ran into her room.

The room was large and airy, with high tall windows overlooking a waterfall. The bed was big enough to fit four of her in it, she thought. She climbed into it and was swallowed up by the large cushions and blankets. Her head was swimming, full of thoughts of moon-letters and dragons and harp songs and the feeling of Thorin's hand around hers in the darkness. In spite of all of that, and possibly by some magical elf-mischief, she fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

…

She was woken by someone jumping onto her bed. It turned out to be Kili, and according to her everyone was already awake. "You've almost missed breakfast," she said cheerfully, tossing a pillow lightly at Bonnie and leaving.

"I'll be on time to second breakfast, then," Bonnie muttered groggily. Someone had changed the room while she was asleep. In the corner was a small wash tub spilling over with soap bubbles, and there was a beautiful elven dress laid out for her. After she had taken a much-needed bath, she tried on the dress. It was obviously made for an elf-child, but it fit her well enough. Some kind of white slippers had been put out as well, but Bonnie scoffed and went about barefoot as usual. And she finally was able to properly brush through her mass of honey blonde curls. They had been getting much longer than she usually kept them, and soon she would be able to wear her hair in braids like the dwarves.

The dwarves were all staying together in the den, playing cards and smoking. Bombur procured some snacks that he shared with Bonnie, and she felt much more comfortable with them all now that everyone had had a decent bath. The younger dwarves complimented her in her elven clothing, though all the dwarves had refused to wear any such thing. Bonnie noticed Oin and Gloin glowering at her out of the corner of her eye, but she didn't want to put her traveling clothes on until they had been properly washed. "It's alright for _you_ to wear the elf clothes anyway, Miss Baggins," Ori said kindly, "seeing as how you aren't a dwarf. You're so nice, I bet hobbits are – are friends with the elves, and everybody else!" She smiled and patted his large hand.

Gandalf and Elrond still hadn't made an appearance, but nobody seemed particularly bothered about it. Thorin came down and joined the group midmorning, and Bonnie could tell he disapproved of her dress at first. He cornered her in the hall after they had lunch.

"You are wearing elf-clothing, Miss Baggins," he said sternly.

"Yes, what of it?" she said stubbornly. "I am frankly sick and tired of trooping around in the same clothes every day and never getting a good wash."

He seemed taken aback. "You have a good point. I offer my apology. I was put off because…you looked so fair, and you looked more elf than dwarf for once."

"You think I look dwarvish?" she said incredulously.

"Well…You do not have whiskers, for one, nor braids. But you have proved to be almost as hardy as we are, even if you do not show it on first impression. And we are similar in height, no one can deny that."

Bonnie smiled. "Yes, though my whiskers seemed to have migrated down to my feet." He gave her a rare laugh, and together they went back into the den.

As they day passed, Thorin and Balin made it clear to everyone that they were to leave the next morning, as early as possible. They didn't want to let the elves know, so no one could try to stop them. And if Gandalf didn't come out from wherever he was hiding to hear their plans, so be it. And so the day was spent getting ready, and resigning themselves to again be hungry, weary, and unwashed.

They all wanted a good night's rest before setting out early, and so no one stayed in the den that evening. Bonnie was a little disappointed; she had been hoping for another intimate conversation with Thorin, but it seemed she wouldn't get one that night.

Just then, Thorin appeared in her doorway. He was only dressed in his thin tunic and trousers, and he was holding the map. "I thought you'd like to see the route we will take," he said.

"Yes, yes, come in," she said, slightly flustered. They sat in the beautifully carved wooden chairs near the bed, and he held the map up so she could see.

"This," he said, tracing a line with one massive finger, "is the way we will try to go through the mountains. Once we're out, we will be able to take _this _way and, if all goes well, reach the mountain before Durin's Day."

Bonnie nodded along. They talked for awhile about maps and travels, and eventually landed on Erebor. She was afraid it might be a painful subject, but he became quite animated when he described its beauty, and the dwarves that lived there. He didn't speak about the treasure or dragons.

She began recounting stories from the Shire, and the silliness of most of the hobbits. She also told the story of the Fell Winter and the wolves, and felt like she somewhat impressed Thorin with a battle involving hobbits. She even mentioned her ancestor, the great Bullroarer Took, who was so tall he could ride a real horse. "He would have been almost your height," she noted.

"Yes, perhaps hobbits and dwarves are not so different. Perhaps they share a similar ancestor, from long ago, too long for anyone to remember."

"It's certainly a nice idea," she said. "Gandalf would know, wherever he has got to."

"Why do the hobbit men not grow beards?" Thorin asked, stroking his own. "I can understand elves not being graced with them, but even human men grow them."

Bonnie shrugged. "It's just the way it's always been. Until I met this company, Gandalf was the only person with a beard I had ever seen. They seem like a strange idea to me, and quite itchy."

He laughed deeply. "No, not at all. They are itchy to grow, but a dwarf man only needs to grow a beard once his life, and after that he will never shave it."

"May I touch yours?" Bonnie asked. She realized that it was perhaps too forward of her to ask, but they had been on such close terms lately that she was willing to risk it. His beard looked so thick and dark, and she had never felt one before.

He hesitated. "Our beards are our pride," he said slowly. "We do not take them lightly. But…perhaps just once, you may." He waited.

Bonnie tried to keep her hand from trembling. She reached out and put her hand against his cheek. His beard was softer than she had expected, and she let her thumb caress it lightly, before drawing back. "It is beautiful," she said before she could stop herself.

He smiled, and was looking at her with some emotion she had not seen before. Again, her nerves won over and she said, "Well, it is getting quite late. Perhaps we should sleep."

"Yes, you're right," Thorin said, and they both got up from their chairs. As he was about to leave, Bonnie caught his arm.

"Thank you," she said honestly.

He smiled. "You are most welcome, Bonnie." With that, he left.


	6. Chapter 6

They set out well the before the sun rose. Their ponies had become healthy and strong in the stables, and they were soon climbing the foothills of the mountains. The trails went steadily upwards, and soon they could look behind them and see the whole valley spilling out below them. Gandalf had still not joined them, but none of the older hobbits seemed concerned. "If he wants to accompany us the rest of the way, he knows where we are going," Thorin said grumpily. Bonnie had started riding near the front of the line, and they held long conversations as they traveled.

The other dwarves noticed. When they made camp for the night, Fili and Kili pulled Bonnie to the side and said, "Bonnie, did something happen between the two of you?"

"No, of course not, tha-that would be silly," she spluttered. "Why do you ask?" She tried to sound more nonchalant but her voice cracked a little.

"Bonnie," Fili said seriously, "You shouldn't let your guard down like this. And neither should he, you both should just stop whatever you're doing right this moment."

"Making bonds like this puts everyone in jeopardy," Kili said. "Say you were to be put in danger, and Thorin sacrificed himself to save you. Well, we'd have you back, but our leader would be gone and that's a good deal worse, no offense."

Bonnie scowled at the dwarf-girl. "He would sacrifice himself for anyone in this group, Kili."

"Ah, but what if you died? And what if Thorin was so heartbroken that he couldn't go on, and the company fell apart?"

She scoffed. "I doubt he would do that." But she did start feeling a kernel of unease that the other dwarves were so opposed to this. "Has…everyone noticed?"

They both nodded. "I'm sorry, Bonnie, but our uncle has had terrible things happen in his life," Fili said. "His whole life was consumed by the thought of taking back Erebor, and now you're a distraction. And honestly we aren't sure if he may snap one day. We'd hate the thought of you getting hurt. We all think it's best if you distanced yourself from him before things get worse. Everyone agrees."

Bonnie looked around and saw the rest of the dwarves watching them. Frustrated tears were welling up in her eyes, and she blinked them away. "It's not fair," she muttered.

"Of _course _it's not," Fili said, throwing his arm around her. "Don't worry, we'll take care of you. Come sit with us. It will get better, you'll see." They sat her down by the fire and gave her some jerky to eat, all the while saying comforting things. It didn't make Bonnie feel much better, but she admitted they were probably right. Besides, he was a dwarf and she was a hobbit. Who had ever heard of such a silly match? And he was a king, even if he no longer had a mountain. And she was just a Baggins of Bag End, just a chubby little hobbit who had wandered somewhere she didn't belong. The only place she belonged was in her living room with a nice cup of tea, she thought miserably.

The next few days, she returned to riding in the back of the line and sleeping between Fili and Kili. They were proving very good friends, and soon had her laughing and singing along with them. They even taught her some dwarf-songs, and she sang them though she did not know the meaning. Thorin had noticed the change, and gave her strange looks when she conspicuously avoided him. Once when Fili told a joke so funny that she laughed just a little too loudly, Thorin looked behind and scowled at them both. After that he did not look at her again.

The road grew rough and dangerous, and everyone's spirits were dampened. It was getting bitterly cold and windy as they climbed higher and higher, and occasionally boulders would be shaken loose by the wind or snow and come crashing down the mountainside. The nights were cold and cheerless, and no one sang or talked too loud.

One night they met a thunderstorm, the lightning splintering the peaks and the thunder crashing down upon them like an avalanche. They were high up, edging along a narrow ridge with a dreadful fall into a valley to one side of them. They had taken shelter under a rocky outcrop for the night, and Bonnie couldn't help but tremble whenever the thunder rolled. She peeped out from her blanket in time to see a great boulder go hurtling across the night sky, lit up by lightning. Across the valley, the stone giants were out, hurling rocks at each other for a game, and then tossing them into the valley below. The wind was soon whipping around in every direction, and they were getting pelted with rain and hail. The rocky outcrop was no protection at all, and eventually they all agreed they had to find somewhere else to shelter.

The stone giants had very poor aim, and sometimes their boulders would come smashing on the mountain side dangerously close to where the company was walking. As they searched for another overhang or a cave, a tall hat appeared out of the darkness behind them. "There is a cave this way!" a voice called out, and they were all very surprised and glad to see that Gandalf had come back. He led them back the way they came, until they reached an opening in the mountain they had surely passed by before. "Dwalin," Thorin commanded, "Make sure the cave is empty. Caves in these mountains are seldom unoccupied."

Dwalin went inside and lit a torch. She came back a bit too quick, saying, "There's nothing here." They all trooped inside, and there was even enough room for the ponies. They stood steaming in a corner while everyone dried off. Gandalf seemed not to trust Dwalin's report, so he lit up the end of his staff and thoroughly explored the cave from end to end. It was a fair size, and had a smooth dry floor and comfortable nooks. They found nothing, so Bifur and Oin began to start a fire. Gandalf would not hear of it, however, so everyone changed into dry clothes and hung their wet things to dry. They soon forgot about the storm even as it thundered outside, and Gandalf blew colorful smoke rings for their amusement. They talked about what they would do with their share of the treasure once they got it, and one by one everyone dropped off to sleep. Bonnie was still sleeping a good ways away from Thorin, and she noticed he stayed up longer than the others, puffing on a pipe and staring off at nothing. As if he felt her watching him, he suddenly glanced over at her. Embarrassed, she looked away immediately, and when she looked back he had lay down and put his back to her. Sighing, she too lay down and went to sleep.

She had a strange, fitful sleep filled with nasty dreams. She dreamed that a crack opened up in the wall of the cave, stretching wider and wider, and she couldn't move or call out to anyone. Then the floor gave way and she fell into darkness.

Waking with a gasp, she sat up and found that part of her dream was true. A crack had opened up in back of the cave, and she was just in time to see a pony's tail disappearing into it. She gave a very loud yell and everyone woke. Bonnie grabbed her small sword from next to her, which was glowing blue. Before she could do anything, out of the opening in the wall jumped goblins. There were lots of them, and they were even uglier than the trolls. In the blink of an eye, the goblins had grabbed them and carried them through the crack. Everyone except Gandalf, who had been woken just in time by Bonnie's cry. There was a terrific flash of light and several of the goblins fell dead.

The crack closed with a snap, and all the dwarves and Bonnie were on the wrong side of it. No one knew where Gandalf was, and no one could see a thing. The goblins hurried them through many winding passages, until everyone was so turned around that no one knew how they could ever find their way out again. The air grew stuffy and hot and a red light was growing larger at the end of the passage. The goblins pinched and laughed in their horrible voices and Bonnie was sure this would be the end.

They emerged into a huge open cavern, lit up by red torches. They were now running down a rope bridge hanging high in the air. The goblins hurried the dwarves along, and in all the commotion Bonnie had realized that she still had her small sword clutched in her hands. She was near the back of the line, and as she was so much smaller than the dwarves that the goblins were not paying her much attention. She quickly dropped to the ground, and to her amazement the goblins scurried past her and continued through the cavern. The last thing she saw of the company was Nori, who had turned around and was staring wide-eyed at Bonnie. A second later, she had disappeared around a corner with the rest of them.

Now Bonnie was alone, without a clue as to what she should do next. As far as she knew, she was the only one with a weapon, and there was no way she would be able to find her way back to their cave. If only Gandalf were here, she wished miserably. Suddenly a scuffling sound came from the path, and a lone goblin appeared with a long knife. He screeched in surprise when he saw her, and immediately lunged. Bonnie screamed and swung her sword awkwardly and clashed with the goblin. He reached his long arms forward and grabbed her around the middle and they both fell backwards off of the rope bridge. Bonnie grabbed a bit of hanging rope just in time, but their momentum was too great and it slid through her hands, burning her palms. They fell a short ways onto a rock overhang, and rolled off into a dark hole. Bonnie landed with a thump onto a huge, spongy fungus, and fainted dead away.


	7. Chapter 7

**I wasn't planning on writing this chapter, because there are so few changes from the book and movie. But someone wrote a review that was excited for it, and I figured it might be too much of a cop-out to just skip to her escaping and then recounting the story to the others. So, here it is.**

**And happy new year, everybody!**

* * *

Bonnie woke with a pounding in her head. At first she wondered if she had gone blind; it was so dark that opening her eyes made no difference than closing them. But then she saw a faint blue glow in the darkness near her hand. It was her sword, which had fallen on the same large fungus she had. It had broken her fall, and the goblin had not been so lucky. She sat up quietly and saw him splayed out and unconscious.

She had a strange sense of calm at that moment. Being lost underground did not frighten her much. After all, she was a hobbit, and hobbits knew their way around underground better than a human might. It was the fact that she was separated from the group that frightened her, but the shock of the fall had dampened her nerves.

A snuffling, scuffling sound was heard then, and she quickly hid back behind the fungus. Something was creeping towards her, and it was muttering to itself as it came. "Another tasty morsel, precious, too many boneses but better than fishes, _gollum, gollum." _ When it said _gollum, _it made a terrible hacking sound in its throat. Bonnie held her breath for fear that this crawling creature, this _Gollum,_ would notice her. It did not, and she could hear it dragging the goblin away.

At that moment it seemed that the goblin woke up. It made a terrible screech and started clawing at Gollum, but after a nasty _thunk _everything was quiet again. The light from Bonnie's sword winked, and went out.

Once the sounds of the creature had faded away, she came out from her hiding spot. It was entirely dark now, and she immediately stubbed her furry toes and fell. Her hand landed on something small and cold and metal on the ground. It was a ring, and she put it in her pocket almost without thinking.

She supposed she should follow the nasty little creature. He could show her a way out, and at least he was not a goblin. And if he was hostile, she always had a sword. So she took her best guess of which way the creature went and followed after it.

She began to hear Gollum's mutterings again, and after following them for awhile she came out into a huge cavern lit by streams of dim moonlight. There was a large lake in the middle of the cavern, and in the lake there was a rock island. The little creature was sitting on top of the rock, and singing a ghastly song about eating goblins. He was small and emaciated, but he was most definitely not a goblin or an orc.

Bonnie crouched behind some rocks to watch him, and just as she did he turned his large, lamp-like eyes towards her. She ducked down. Had he seen her? It was terribly dark, but cave-dwellers could always see well in the dark.

She risked another look. The rock was empty. She cursed under her breath and gripped her sword tightly. She was clumsy with it, that much was true, but this creature could not be very strong. To her horror, she heard his wheezing breaths coming from above her. He had climbed up onto the rock she was hiding behind, and suddenly he jumped down and landed in front of her. He had huge, green eyes and tiny sharp teeth like a fish. He was small and slimy and pale, and she could have counted each of his ribs.

"Bless us and splash us, preciousss! What a nice feast we shall have, it's got meat on its boneses but it's no goblinses, what _is _it, precious?"

She held the point of her sword at his bony little chest and cried, "Stay back! I mean it!" Her voice was high and thin and echoed in the cave, and not at all strong or threatening. Still, Gollum backed away from the blade as though he had been stung by it. "I am Bonnabell Baggins, from the Shire. I have lost my dwarves, and the wizard too, and I don't know where I am and I just want to know the way out." She said all this in a rush, for the creature didn't seem hungry enough to try and eat her just then, and perhaps she could bargain with it.

"What's it got in its handses?" he asked, looking at the sword with dislike.

"This is a sword, an elvish blade."

He hissed, and became quite polite. "Praps the Bagginses would like a game, oh let's play, precious, give us a riddle."

Bonnie was familiar with riddles, as it was common game to play in the Shire. She wanted to agree, if only to make the creature complacent. "Fine," she said after a few moments of thinking. "If I win, you have to show me the way out. Deal?"

Gollum scowled then, and coughed some more. It seemed to be having an argument with himself. After some intense muttering, he turned to her and said very pleasantly, "Yes. And if it loses, we eats it whole."

Bonnie paused, and after an internal struggle said, "Fair enough."

So they because telling riddles back and forth. The first few were simple enough for both of them, as Bonnie knew many riddles from childhood. It seemed Gollum knew many of the same ones, which was curious. They became more and more difficult, and she could tell that he was getting antsy. He had picked up a large rock and was fiddling with it with his long fingers. It was now her turn to tell a riddle, but she just couldn't recall any more. Her heart started pounding, and she wondered if the sword would be enough to fend off such a clingy, slimy thing.

"Ask us a question," he was saying in his wheezy voice. _"Ask us!" _he screamed, and as he did, Bonnie's hand slipped into her pocket almost on its own.

"What have I got in my pocket?" she said aloud, for she had quite forgotten the ring.

Gollum threw the rock aside in anger. "That's not fair, precious! It's not a riddle, ask us another, precious."

"No, no," she said, breathing a sigh of relief. "You said ask a question, and that's my question. What have I got in my pocket?"

"It must give us three quesses," he said, holding up two fingers. "Handses!"

"Nope!" She whipped her hand away from her pocket. She was still holding the sword in a shaking hand. She didn't know how much longer he would tolerate her, especially if he got the question wrong.

"A knife! No, stupid, precious," he said in frustration.

"No. This is your last guess."

Now Gollum was in a terrible state. He hissed and spluttered and rocked back and forth. He rifled around on the ground, muttering things he most likely kept in his own pockets. "A bat's wings, fish bones, goblin's teeth, shells…"

"I'm waiting."

"String!" he shouted desperately. "Or nothing!"

"Ah, two guesses, that's cheating. And both are wrong, so you have to show me the way out." She started edging back towards the cave mouth. Even though they had a deal, she knew she couldn't trust this little creature in a pinch.

"Did we say so, precious? _Did we say so?" _he hissed, pounding his bony fists on the ground. "It must tell us what it has in its nasty little pocketses."

"That's none of your concern," she said. "And you promised. Now show me the way out."

"It must wait, yes, we must go and get some things first, precious. Then we shows it the way out." Bonnie waited while he went back onto his rock island, tapping her foot impatiently. What worldly possession could this slimy thing possibly have, way down in the deep, which he needed to take with him?

She suddenly heard a far off shriek and then wailing, "Where is it, precious, where is it? Lost it is, we have lost our birthday present, curse us and crush us, precious!"

"What have you lost?" she called.

"Mustn't ask us, not its business!" he cried. "It's lost, precious, _gollum."_

"Well so am I, and I want to get _un-_lost, so hurry up and show me the way out," she said angrily.

It was quiet for a moment, and she could see his two big eyes watching her from afar. "What has it got in its pocketses?" he said, so quiet she barely heard it. "What has it got in its nasty…little…_pocketses?" _He was shrieking now, and she could hear him scrambling down from the rock. He was coming swiftly nearer, and a great fear leapt up in Bonnie's mind and she knew he wouldn't show her the way out.

She turned and ran back the way she came, with Gollum in pursuit. What had she got in her pocket, she wondered? She put her hand back into her pocket, and almost of its own will, the ring slipped onto her finger.

Gollum was nearer now, breathing raggedly and hissing in anger. She turned and could see his green eyes bobbing closer. She was terrified and tried to run faster, but again she caught her toes on a rock and fell flat. In a moment the creature was on her, and she flinched and curled up in a ball, but then he passed by her and kept running down the passage.

Bonnie stayed frozen for a moment. How had he missed her? She knew he could see in the dark. She picked herself off and slowly followed behind him. She could think of nothing else to do, but perhaps if she followed him he would accidentally lead her to an exit.

"Curse it," she could hear him whispering. "Curse the Baggins! She's found it, yes, she's stolen our birthday-present!"

She had a sudden moment of understanding: the ring was what he had lost. She followed him through the tunnels, still wearing it, until he stopped in the middle of the path and began to cry. It was a pitiful sight, and at last his weeping subsided and he muttered, "It's no good, precious, the nasty noser has found our birthday present. But the Baggins won't know what it does, no, it will just keep it in its pocketses. It doesn't know, it can't go far. It's lost itself, precious, it doesn't know the way out.

"No, but it's tricksy, it doesn't say what it means. It knows the way in, praps it knows the way out. It will go to the back-door, but the goblinses might catch it. And the goblinses will find our present, no, precious, we must find it!" He sprang up and continued down the tunnel, cursing. Bonnie followed, head in a whirl.

It sounded as though the ring was magical. It must make the wearer invisible! It explained why he couldn't see her standing a foot away. She had heard stories of magic rings, but she couldn't believe that she, of all hobbits, had found one quite by chance.

He led her through a passage and she could smell fresh air suddenly. They had to be close to the back door. As they came to an intersecting passage, Gollum stopped and shrank back suddenly. There were voices coming closer. Bonnie's heart leapt as she saw Gandalf go running by, and all the dwarves following. They were alive! But she couldn't follow them, for the creature was blocking her way out.

He looked very pathetic, crouching in the shadows. He had started weeping again. She knew at this moment that she could kill him. She was close enough, and after all, he _had_ tried to kill her. Bonnie held her sword close to his neck and drew it back, trying to gather the courage. But then he turned his head back to face her, his big eyes swimming with tears. He was utterly helpless now, and she couldn't just kill him. It wasn't a fair fight.

All of the tense fear and frustration and anger welled up inside of her and so she leaped. Straight over the creature's head she went, one foot catching him unawares on the head. Gollum shrieked and threw himself backwards, but his grasping fingers just missed the hem of her cloak. His wails followed her as she hurtled down the passage the way the dwarves had gone, and there was a door slightly ajar. Sunlight was spilling in, and she squeezed through it and was outside, free.


	8. Chapter 8

Bonnie ran down the slopes of the mountain, hoping against hope that it was the same direction the company had gone. The sunlight was blinding at first after such a long time in the dark, but it began to sink slowly behind the mountains. _Behind the mountains – _they had come out on the other side.

She could see far down into the trees below, and there were dark specks moving through them. She could hear their voices as she got closer, and could see the tip of Gandalf's pointy hat above all the others.

"After all, I feel responsible for her. And she's not a bad little hobbit, I wish to goodness you had not lost her," he was saying.

"We can't just leave her alone in there," Ori said in a small voice.

"If I have to be the one to say it, I'll say it," Dwalin said, shifting her weight and running a hand through her mohawk. "She's been nothing but a dead weight. She cannot keep pace with us and now she has lost herself in those abominable tunnels. If we have to go back in there to find her, I say drat her."

"She saved your lives, in case you have forgotten," Thorin said angrily. "I would go back and search through every tunnel to find one of you, and she is no different."

"Oh, she's a bit different for _you,_" she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "But I haven't been romancing her in secret, so I don't intend to risk my life for a burglar who doesn't even know how to burgle. I'm sure if we got to the mountain, she would be so clumsy that Smaug would see her immediately and gobble her up first."

"Oh, I don't know," Bonnie said, trying to keep her voice casual as she stepped among them and pulled off the ring, "None of _you_ saw me."

They all nearly jumped out of their skin. Shouting in surprise and delight, they all patted her on the back and praised her excellent sneaking skills. Gandalf's eyes twinkled and he eyed her pocket as she slipped the ring back into it. "What did I tell you?" he said. "There is more to Miss Baggins than meets the eye."

"Seems I was wrong about you, burglar," Dwalin said gruffly, ruffling Bonnie's curls.

Thorin was standing outside the group, but he was staring at her in surprise and something like pride. Bonnie grinned and tried to make her way through the throng to him, but Fili pulled her into an enormous bear hug. He and Kili were practically crying with joy that she was alive. She saw Thorin's face darken just as Gandalf interjected, "The shadows are lengthening. We must get a move on, or the goblins will be out in the hundreds once the sun sets."

They set out again, this time without ponies or food or packs of anything. Bonnie was dreadfully hungry, and kept an eye out for any berries or roots along the way. As they hurried along, she tried to keep pace and catch up with Thorin. He was at the front, discussing something with Oin and Gloin.

"You really think he could still be alive?" Gloin was saying.

"There was no proof Azog had died, after all, and if the goblins had a price for your head…" Oin added.

"No. It was a petty trick to make me angry," Thorin said, "and nothing more."

Bonnie was almost jogging now, and she pulled even with him. "Are you talking about the Pale Orc?" she panted. "The one who…the one you killed?"

Thorin looked at her coldly. "It is no concern of yours, hobbit," he said, turning his eyes forward. "I'm sure you have much better things to talk about, perhaps with my nephew."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but there's a price on your head? What _happened _to you in that goblin cave?"

"Did I not just say it was no concern of yours?" He stopped short, and the dwarves behind them nearly bowled them over. "You have no need to waste your time worrying about me. I have taken care of myself long before I met you, and things are no different now."

This caused Bonnie a pang. "Why are you saying such things?" she whispered, aware that the others were watching them. "I thought…I thought we were friends."

He laughed humorlessly. "Friends? Do not flatter yourself, Miss Baggins. You are a member of my company, someone I am obligated to look after, and nothing more. You will gain your share of the treasure and go back to your home where you belong, and that will be the end of our tale."

"But I don't want that." She knew she had resolved to stop pursuing him, but at this moment she couldn't restrain herself.

"Are you sure? Because you have been behaving like that's all you want since we left that damned Valley. Now go back to Fili, where you'd obviously rather be. With the dwarves your own age."

"Fili is eighty-two!" However, their argument was cut short when they heard howls come down from the mountain.

"Wargs," Gandalf said. "Run!"

They ran full-tilt down the mountain, dodging between the tall pines and vaulting over rocks. But they soon came to the edge of a cliff, and there was no time for them to turn back and run another way. "The trees!" Thorin yelled, and they all found bottom branches to climb into. Poor Bonnie was almost left behind, because she was too short to reach any of the branches. At the last moment, Bofur climbed out of her tree and boosted Bonnie up. She climbed back up at the last second, before the wargs came down and snapped at their heels.

Then came orcs, riding on the back of the wargs. They all carried cruel spikes and swords, and at the front of them Bonnie saw a huge, white orc covered in criss-crossing scars. She went cold. Was this the Pale Orc? He was missing his left arm, and it had been replaced by what looked like an iron mace stabbed through the stump. He said something in a guttural language, and the riderless wargs started slamming themselves into the tree trunks over and over. Bonnie was almost knocked off the branch she was clinging to.

A small, burning object went whizzing by. It hit a warg below her, and its coat immediately caught fire. She turned around and saw Gandalf setting pinecones on fire with his staff. All the dwarves were throwing them, creating a line of fire between them and the orcs.

The burning wargs were running around in pain and anger, throwing themselves into the trees even harder. Bonnie felt the tree shudder, and it started leaning into the tree that Gandalf and the others were in. "It's coming down!" Bofur cried. "Bonnie, we have to climb!"

They struggled upwards and, as the other tree came closer, leapt onto its branches. Now the entire company was in one single tree, right on the edge of a cliff. The wargs continued their barrage against the tree trunk, sending splinters and sparks everywhere. With a groan, the great tree started to lean back over the cliff until it was almost completely horizontal. To Bonnie's horror, she saw Ori get knocked off his branch and tumble out off the cliff. He was saved by grabbing Dori's legs at the last moment, and they both hung there wailing, "My arms, my arms!" and "My legs, oh my poor legs!"

Bonnie saw the Pale Orc approaching through the flames. He was addressing them in his language, and she heard the name "Thorin" and "Thrain." Thorin was crouching on the trunk, staring at Azog in shock and fury. In a single movement, he drew Orchrist, grabbed a thick tree branch as a shield, and leapt onto the burning ground. He ran at the Pale Orc, whose white warg lunged.

"No!" Dwalin yelled desperately, but she almost slid off the branch she was clinging to.

The warg jumped right over Thorin, and the Azog's mace caught the branch-shield and shattered it. Thorin was thrown to the ground. He got up and made another lung towards the orc, and this time the warg caught him in its jaws.

All the dwarves cried out and tried to scramble off the tree. Bonnie was the closest to the trunk, and she made her way down it carefully. The warg threw Thorin a good ways, where he tumbled over and lay still. Azog waved over one of his minions, gesturing to the dwarf. The orc minion hefted a large sword and approached his still form.

Bonnie did it without thinking. She sprang out of the tree and ran as fast as her short legs would carry her. She ran through the flames and jumped right onto the orc's back, both of them topping over. Her arms moved almost of their own accord, plunging her sword into the orc over and over until it stopped moving. Then she scrambled up and pointed her sword at the others. They all leered at her and came slowly closer. Azog laughed throatily. His warg readied itself to spring at Bonnie, when the other dwarves came running through the flames brandishing their weapons and yelling war cries. They fell upon the unsuspecting orc pack in a fervor, and Bonnie fell to the ground next to Thorin.

"No no no no no," she said, cradling his head. His eyes were fluttering closed, and there was blood staining the fur of his coat. A sudden cry came from above them, much louder than any warg. Something huge swooped down, the rush of air from its flapping wings knocking Bonnie flat on her back. It was a great eagle, and it carefully picked up Thorin in its claws and flew away.

Before she could react, another one came and grabbed her, flying out over the cliff and dropping her. She landed with a thump on the back of another eagle before she could even scream, and she quickly grabbed its feathers and held on for dear life. The air was cold and her eyes watered as they flew, and she could see other eagles surrounding them. There were figures on their backs, and some being carried in their claws. She tried to count them all up but they were moving too fast. The movement of the muscles on the bird's back nearly unseated her a few times. She didn't dare look out below them for fear that she would faint again and slip off its back. She squeezed her eyes shut and thought of Bag End.

Eventually she felt the eagle angling downwards, and she opened her eyes again. All the eagles were drawing close to a tall, thin rock spire. The eagle in the front landed, let go of Thorin's limp form, and took off again. One by one, the eagles landed briefly to allow each dwarf to slide off its back, and finally Bonnie. She ran to where they were all surrounding Thorin. Gandalf was bent over him, examining his wounds. He was still breathing, and Bonnie's knees almost gave way with relief. Thorin opened his eyes a little and he asked Gandalf hoarsely, "The hobbit?"

"Bonnabell is alive," he said, smiling. "She is alright. The same may not be said for you, however. You took a nasty bite from that warg."

He ignored Gandalf and pushed himself upright. He grabbed hold of Dwalin's strong hand and pulled himself up, scanning the group for Bonnie. When he finally saw her he growled, "You. What were you thinking? You almost got yourself killed." He pushed through them towards her.

She was taken aback. She looked at the others for some help, but no one moved. "You should have stayed back with the others. Azog could have killed you in one swing if he had gotten the chance. You are the most reckless, irresponsible member of this company. And for that, I owe you my life." To her astonishment, his face broke into a smile and he pulled her into a strong hug, nearly knocking the breath out of her.

Bonnie stared at the dwarves in surprise, but then she buried her face in his fur coat. One of his hands was in her curls, and then he pulled away and caressed her face the way she had done to him all those nights ago. "You will never stop surprising me, Bonnabell Baggins," he said. And then he crumpled in pain, clutching his abdomen. There was still blood soaked into his clothes.

"Gandalf, he needs help!" she cried, trying unsuccessfully to support his weight. The others rushed over immediately, tearing up strips of cloth for bandages and calling out orders to each other. Eventually they got a fire going and boiled a pot of water over it, and Bombur had been sent to look for certain herbs to use in a salve.

Thorin lay near the fire as everyone rushed around him, his tunic open to reveal several gashes across his body. They weren't very deep, but they didn't know what kind of infection could occur from the warg's horrible teeth. Bonnie sat next to him, cleaning the wounds with a boiled rag. He kept wincing and sucking air in through his teeth. "Stop fidgeting, it will only hurt worse," Bonnie said.

He scowled but did as she told. Once Bombur came back, Gandalf made a salve and bandaged him up, and then they could all relax. Bombur had also found a good amount of mushrooms on the way, and so they had their first meal in days.

Thorin and Bonnie stayed a little behind everyone, their backs propped against a rock. Thorin had put his large fur around Bonnie's shoulders as the night deepened. "Why were you so cross with me?" Bonnie said. "After we escaped the mountain?"

"It's…embarrassing," he said finally. "I saw you with Fili and I assumed that you…perhaps that you two had made an attachment. I was jealous, and I…apologize." He grimaced as though admitting he was wrong caused him actual pain.

She smiled in relief. "Fili is just affectionate, but he's much too silly for my tastes," she laughed. "And Kili as well. What had you to be jealous of?"

He shot her a look. "Honestly, Miss Baggins, do you not know how amazing you are?" He reached out and pulled her face towards his, and kissed her right on the mouth.

Bonnie had not been expecting it at all, but she kissed him back, hard. His beard was rough against her face and she tangled her hands into his long hair. He was the first to pull away. "But why were _you _so cold to me, when we left the Valley?" he asked.

"I wasn't cold to you," she said, affronted. "At least I wasn't trying to be. I just wanted to distance myself, Fili and Kili said I should. They said you had a dark past and I was distracting you and all sorts of things."

"Fili and Kili are idiots," he said, smiling wryly, and he kissed her again. She felt swept off her feet, and for once she did not miss Bag End one bit.

THE END

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**Gah thanks for reading everybody! I'm glad you guys liked it. I may write a continuation once the next movie comes out, because I definitely have an ending planned for Thorin and Bonnie and I had so much fun writing this. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys, I'm just here to let you know that I posted the sequel! It's called Swept Off. Go forth and read!**


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